Every business wants to figure out the fastest path to cash. Improving the conversion rate, is one of the quickest ways to do it. More customers equals more money. So how do you do that digitally? You have to get more people to click, and that all starts with a great landing page. It can take a lot of trial and error before you get the success you’re looking for, so that’s why we want to show you how to improve your conversion rates with a great landing page.
Do the research
Your first step doesn’t actually start with the landing page, it starts with understanding exactly who your ideal client or target audience is. That means focused market research. This is something we did for one of our clients and it increased the traffic to their site by 2837%, and boosted their sales $3.5 million dollars in just six weeks!
The client, a land developer, had just opened a second division in a new community. When they came to us, they were literally getting zero conversions from their landing page. The original landing page gave a little information about the community, and their call to action was a button that said “Sign up for more information.”
No wonder the leads they were getting from the page amounted to zero. This generic ad was targeted at everyone, so it didn’t connect with anyone in a meaningful way. They hadn’t nailed down their specific target audience appropriately, or directed the landing page to talk to that audience. Market research is an absolute must when you want high converting landing pages.
So we started with the demographics and psychographics of their ideal clients. There is a really big difference in the needs of 20-year-olds and the needs of 50-year olds. The way you market to them is also different. Similarly, there’s a significant difference in the way you speak to someone who is quite formal, versus someone who is laid back, or a family demographic, as compared to a singles demographic.
Once you become clear on the demographics and psychographics of your target audience, you need to start delving deeper for more specific information to improve your conversion rates. A great landing page speaks to the customer’s specific needs, desires and/or pain, and then provides them provides them with what they need to create the solution they’ve been looking for.
For our client, we did three things to connect more meaningfully with their target audience, and drastically increase their conversion rates from the landing page, based on the market research data we collected.
- We established their credibility as a reputable developer.
- We focused on what was important to potential buyers when purchasing in a new community.
- The call to action gave their potential clients what they wanted – floor plans of the new houses.
The results from the market research and targeted campaign were exponential. Within six weeks, we dramatically increased the traffic to the website and into the showhomes, and that drove their sales upward by $3.5million dollars in that time.
Refine the design
The design of your landing page can also hugely impact the appeal and conversion statistics. That includes the look, images, amount of copy, the headlines, and the call to action.
CloudSponge is a perfect example of how a full design change can improve conversion rates. They had an outdated look on their original landing page, so they chose to move to a more modern design, which increased their conversion rates by 33%. [link to study]
Making smaller adjustments, like image changes, can also improve the effectiveness of the design. For example, 37 Signals increased their conversion by a whopping 102.5%, for their product Highrise, when they used a picture of a real customer, and featured it on a warmer coloured background, instead of on white. [link to study]
No matter what changes you make, be sure to test them against your original design to ensure they are actually working for your business. Sometimes the change can actually decrease the conversion rate, and that’s when you revert back to the original landing page, and try something else.
Improve the copy
When it comes to landing pages, usually less is better. The cleaner the copy, the easier it is for the potential client to read and make a quick decision. But sometimes an engaging story about the business, or the success a client had with the product or service, has better conversion rates than a short page. Truly it comes back to the target audience and knowing how they will connect with your business. Whether you go for a longer page or a shorter page, the copy needs to be clear and descriptive. The whole point is to create a desire in your potential client for what you have to offer.
Every business has different needs, and different ways they can refine and improve their marketing results. It takes a specifically developed strategy to get significant results. This is where a professional marketing agency can lead you in the right direction. Seasoned marketing professionals will take the time to split test at every stage, for every change, and measure the corresponding result. Then they revise, and test again to keep improving the results. Creating results isn’t magic, it’s strategic.
Because we believe in a clear and actionable strategy to improvement, we’ve also developed The Ultimate Landing Page Checklist, just click here to get it.
It leads you through each step you need to take to build high performing landing pages.
About BottomLine Marketing
Our philosophy is: Your business is meant to stand out from the crowd.
We are a boutique marketing firm that creates tailored strategies for businesses serious about growth, and want a marketing plan to make it happen. By taking an innovative approach toward proper research, integrating it with the psychology of consumer behaviour, and collaborating fully with our clients, we effectively develop and implement customized and engaging strategies for each one. Whether it’s web design, internet marketing, traditional marketing, SEO expertise, or stunning print material, BottomLine Marketing delivers results.
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